Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, July 15, 2017

Internationally renowned violinist and co-founder of the Hawai`i International Music Festival Eric Silberger
will return to Ka`u with a team of master singers and musicians for a performance on Wednesday, Aug. 16
at Pahala Plantation House. Photo by Carlin Ma

HAWAI`I INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL has announced its return to Pahala Plantation House on Wednesday, Aug. 16, for a 7 p.m. performance.  Entitlied Thrill of the Senses, the concert will raise awareness of the Pahala Historic Properties Alliance and efforts to to restore buildings to host a living heritage and education center and to curate and honor the history of Pahala. This concert will feature Metropolitan Opera Soprano Amy Shoremount Obra, who is the daughter-in-law of Lorie Obra, of Rusty’s Hawaiian Coffee, a famous Ka`u Coffee brand. 

     Also performing will be Virtuoso Violinist Eric Silberger, Esteemed Pianist Carlin Ma, Hawai`i Symphony Orchestra Cellist Sun Chang Yang, Mexican Tenor Manuel Castillo, Young Artist Mexican Soprano Sandra Aldaz Meraz, and World Renowned Argentinean Bandoneon Player JP Jofre. 

    Jofre, a native of San Juan, Argentina, is an award winning bandoneon player and composer. His music has been recorded by 16 Grammy winner Paquito D’ Rivera, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and choreographed and performed by ballet-star Herman Cornejo (Principal Dancer of the American Ballet Theatre) among others. A recipient of the National Prize of the Arts grant in Argentina, Jofre has taken his form of contemporary tango to some of the most important venues in Asia, Europe, America and the Caribbean as soloist and composer. 

The bandoneon will one featured instrument at the Hawai`i International
 Music Festival performance on Wednesday, Aug. 16 in Pahala. The master
is Argentinian JP Jofre who creates a contemporary tango.
Photo from Hawai`i International Music Festival

     Jofre has been part of many festivals including the Celebrity Series of Boston, Google Talks, TEDtalks, Umbria Jazz Festival, Great Performers at Lincoln Center, Seattle Town, Belgorod Music Festival in Russia, Sudtirol Jazz Festival, and Bachanalia Taiwan, Lorin Maazel's Castleton Festival among others. For the world premiere of his Bandoneon Concerto, the Mercury News wrote: “…he is an electrifying composer-bandoneon player.”

     Shoremount-Obra made her much anticipated Metropolitan Opera Debut in October 2014 as “First Lady” in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, singing all nine performances of the opera, three of which were Sirius XM Satellite Broadcasts. Recent operatic engagements have included Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Opera Las Vegas, The Savannah Voice Festival, and NYC's new Venture Opera, Machessa in Verdi’s Un Giorno di Regno with Odyssey Opera of Boston, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte with Annapolis Opera, and most recently, Leonore in Beethoven’s Fidelio with Grand Harmonie.

Amy Shoremount Obra brings internationally acclaimed
musicians, including her own Metropolitan Opera
voice to perform in Pahala.
Photo from Hawai`i International Music Festival

     Shoremount-Obra has appeared at Carnegie Hall as the Soprano soloist in Fauré ‘s Requiem, Brahms’ Requiem, and Schubert’s Mass in G and at David Geffen Hall as the Soprano Soloist in Verdi’s Requiem. She was a National Semi-Finalist and New York Regional Winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School. 

    Hawai`i International Music Festival will also offer performances in Hilo and Honolulu.
   This marks the third Pahala performance of internationally renowned musicians and singers organized by Shoremount-Obra.
See https://www.himusicfestival.com/concerts.
   See more biographies of performers in upcoming Ka`u News Briefs and the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar newspaper.

     

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A FOREST RESTORATION PROJECT on Friday, July 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. welcomes volunteers for invasive Faya tree removal in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the park's native forest restoration program the important role volunteers play in protecting important and threatened native ecosystems.

Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is sending
out a call for volunteers to help with restoration.
Photo from FHVNP

    Volunteers should be at least 12 years old, and be able to hike at least one mile over rough, uneven ground. Sturdy walking shoes and long pants are required, along with gear for variable weather conditions (be prepared for sun or rain with a hat, raincoat, sunscreen, etc.) plus drinking water and lunch.
    Also imperative is scrubbing the soles of one's shoes prior to arrival on site, in order to ensure outside dirt/soil and invasive species aren't tracked in. Clothing, tools, and gloves, etc. should be clean before entering the park to protect against seeds, Rapid Ohia Death fungus and other invasives.
    The goal of sponsoring organization Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is a crew of 17 people, and pre-registration is required. All participants will need to sign a Friends release form and a park volunteer form. For those under 18, an adult will need to co-sign.

     To reserve a spot, contact Patty Kupchak at 352-1402, or email forest@fhvnp.org.

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Fernanda is expected to weaken as she swirls northwest to Hawai`i.
Map from Island MAX Weather

HURRICANE FERNANDA IS EXPECTED to weaken before reaching Hawaiian waters next weekend. On Saturday Fernanda was showing in inner eye about 20 nautical miles across and an outer eye about 60 nautical miles across.

     The long-term weakening is expected as Fernanda enters cooler water and in into a drier and more stable air mass near Hawai`i.

Finian's Rainbow continues its run at Kilauea Military Camp's Kilauea Theater this and next Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and next Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.Tickets are $20 general, $15 for seniors 60 plus and students and $12 for children 12 and under, available at the door. For more information or to make a reservation, contact KDEN at 982-7344 or kden73@aol.com.

Celebration of Health, Mon, July 17, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Nā‘ālehu Hongwanji Mission. A gathering of oneness of groups practicing Good Health activities. Meditation with Velvet Replogle, Yoga with Stephanie Pepper, Tai Chi with Phillip Hema & Qi Gong with Shary Crocker. Nutritious snacks and dishes. Everyone welcome. 929-7647

Drawing in the Park, Tue, July 18, 11a.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Ken Charon Free. 967-8222

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, July 14, 2017

Care homes, rural clinics, shelters and many health services to the poor and elderly would shut down under
the proposed Trumpcare bill, according to Sen. Mazie Hirono who released a video on the subject. 

PROPOSED TRUMPCARE WOULD BE DEVASTATING, according to Sen. Mazie Hirono, health care leaders from across the state, and people they serve. They illustrate the impact in a video released by the U.S. Senator. It contends that the latest health care bill before the U.S. Senate would cut back Medicaid severely and that clinics and shelters would shut down.
     “Health care is a right, not a privilege for those who can afford it,” said Hirono. “Hawai`i residents have a simple message: oppose this mean, ugly bill.” She said, "In Hawai`i and across the country, Trumpcare would affect the sickest, oldest and poorest in our communities."

Many of Hawai`i's citizens depend on Medicaid and other support
that would be slashed in the Trumpcare bill, says Hirono.

     On Thursday, Senate Republicans introduced their latest version of Trumpcare – a bill that would cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid, a program that nearly one in four Hawai`i residents depend on every day, said Hirono. In the Hawai`i based video, Wes Lo, CEO of Hale Makua Health Services on Maui, where 80 percent of residents depend on Medicaid, said: “If you don’t have a health care system, what does that do to a community? You’ll stop seeing the tourism industry thrive here. You’ll stop seeing real estate thrive here. You’ll probably start seeing a recession and economic collapse here.”
     Marie Osaki, Hale Makua resident, said, “I really don’t know what would happen. I really don’t want to imagine what would happen. It would be a rough thing.”
      Keith Moniz, brother of a Hale Makua Resident, said that cuts in Medicaid "would be devastating. We had a difficult time taking care of him when he was at home, and he’s gotten the care that he needs here. The staff has been so super. It would be a big loss…I don’t know what we would do, where we would be able to get him.”
     Sheila Beckham, CEO of Waikiki Health, said, “We’ve cranked a few numbers, and we’ve really looked at the devastating effect of having Medicaid go away. What I’ve already decided to do if we lose both of those sources is to close down all the small clinics, shut down admin, shut down the shelter, and only run two clinics. I would lay off between 80 and 100 people.”
     Alvin Keohohina, Hale Maua resident, said, “I’m not a politician, I don’t know about these health care things. But I know that these programs really help those who are in need. I really hope that they would take a longer look at it and realize that are in need like the elderly and disabled.”
     Christina Leee, Chief Medical Officer of Waimanalo Health Center, said, “Access is not just that there’s different health care plans that you choose and pay for. If people can’t afford them, then that’s not access.” See the video at https://www.facebook.com/senatorhirono/videos/1086060714859878/

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Hurricane Fernanda is a Category Four hurricane and headed toward Hawaiian waters but is expected
to weaken and become a tropical storm before reaching the Big Island. 

HURRICANE FERNANDA is Major Hurricane, sporting a ten-mile-wide eye and good outflow, with an intensity of about 145 mph, according to the Friday night, 8 p.m. forecast from the National Hurricane Center. As she moves along at 12 mph, her intensity is expected to increase to 155 mph by Saturday morning as she turns northwest towards Hawai`i. The prediction is for Fernanda's windspeed to slowly decrease as she heads into cooler waters to 70 mph by the time she reaches the Hawaiian Islands next week.

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EXTENDED GI BENEFITS FOR VETERANS, surviving spouses and dependents are in a new bill announced on Friday by Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard who co-chairs the Post 9/11 Veterans Caucus. Gabbard joined the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees in introducing the bipartisan Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has worked this year on improving the GI Bill and
services to women's veterans. Photo from Office of Tulsi Gabbard

     The legislation would be applied to all new enlistees in the military, and would: Remove time restrictions to use the GI Bill, enabling future eligible recipients to use their GI bill benefits for their entire lives, as opposed to the current 15-year timeline; simplify the benefit for future service members by consolidating the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill into a single program over time, which would reduce the VA’s administrative costs; provide significant increases in GI Bill funding for Reservists and Guardsmen, dependents, surviving spouses and surviving dependents; provide 100 percent GI Bill eligibility to Post 9/11 Purple Heart recipients; and restore eligibility for service members whose school closes in the middle of a semester and create a pilot program that would pay for veterans to take certain high technology courses.
     Gabbard said: “The GI Bill is one of the most important earned benefits that help set our troops up for success while in the service, and after they lay down the uniform." The legislation "will eliminate barriers and increase accessibility to make it easier for our troops, veterans and their dependents to get the education they’ve earned by enhancing existing benefits, correcting gaps in eligibility, and ensuring GI Bill benefits keep up with the 21st century economy.
     "Last year in Hawaiʻi, more than 7,000 veterans used their earned education benefit to open the door to new opportunities for them and their family, and we must continue to build on this progress.”

     Gabbard has also sponsored legislation this year to ensure equal services for women veterans.

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www.kaucalendar.com

Recycling at Nā‘ālehu School, Sat, July 15, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Nā‘ālehu School Gym. Redeem your HI-5 sorted by type; receive 5 cents per container and additional 20 cents per pound on all aluminum. Atlas Recycling donates 20 cents per pound on all aluminum redeemed to the school. 939-2413, ext. 230.

Hula Performance, Sat, July 15, 10:30 a.m., hula platform near Volcano Art Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Kumu hula Kaho‘okele Crabbe with Halauolaokalani. Nā Mea Hula with Loke Kamanu & ‘ohana, 11a.m. – 1 p.m.

Finian's Rainbow continues its run at Kilauea Military Camp's Kilauea Theater Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 general, $15 for seniors 60 plus and students and $12 for children 12 and under, available at the door. For more information or to make a reservation, contact KDEN at 982-7344 or kden73@aol.com.

Mongolian BBQ, Sat, July 15, 5 – 8 p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356 for more details.


Celebration of Health, Mon, July 17, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Nā‘ālehu Hongwanji Mission. A gathering of oneness of groups practicing Good Health activities. Meditation with Velvet Replogle, Yoga with Stephanie Pepper, Tai Chi with Phillip Hema & Qi Gong with Shary Crocker. Nutritious snacks and dishes. Everyone welcome. 929-7647

Drawing in the Park, Tue, July 18, 11a.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Ken Charon Free. 967-8222

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, July 13, 2017

Thy Word Ministries was one of two winners in the Independence Day Parade last Saturday
in Na`alehu. There were two judges and each picked a winner. Photo by Ron Johnson

THE PROPOSED KA`U SUGAR MILL PARK in Pahala has more support in letters provided to the county  Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission. Glenn Okumuara, of Pahala, wrote. "The sugar industry is a big part of Hawai`i history. Ka`u sugar was the last mill to close on Hawai`i Island, closing a chapter in the lives of the people in Ka`u, Hawai`i Isalnd, the State of Hawai`i and the nation. Please consider this acquisition."
     Gay Polido Scott wrote, "This is my request and stated interest that the Preservation Commission please purchase this land for community use."

Ka`u Auto Repair was one of two winning
entries in the annual Na`alehu Independence Day Parade
sponsored by O Ka`u Kakou. Photo by Ron Johnson

     The 60 plus acres are in foreclosure and are scheduled for a courthouse sale in Hilo on July 28. On the land are remains of the sugar mill and camp housing, as well as several commercial buildings, one of them housing Hawai`i Public Radio and emergency broadcasting. 

      For the county to purchase it, the owner of the property must be willing to sell it at an appraised price and the county must approve the purchase. 

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OPIOD-RELATED HOSPITALIZATIONS AND EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS have more than doubled in the last decade, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard told the U.S. House of Representatives today. She reported that more people are now dying from overdoses than motor vehicle accidents. This opioid epidemic is killing 91 Americans all across this country every single day.

Thy Word Ministry was co-winner of first place in the Independence 
Day Parade in Na`alehu last Saturday. Photo by Lee McIntosh

      She took on pharmaceutical companies: “For years, companies like Purdue Pharma, which is the maker of the commonly known drug, OxyContin, have profited off the suffering of millions of Americans who are dealing and struggling with opioid addiction. Now Purdue and others are going overseas, targeting foreign populations, using the very same shady marketing tactics, lies, and false advertising that helped them get rich at the expense of the American people.

     “This is absolutely unacceptable. We can't just keep wringing our hands about the opioid crisis without actually tackling the cause of it. Purdue and those responsible should be prosecuted for the deaths and lives that have been ruined as a result of their lies."

Ka`u Auto Repair was co-winner of first place in the annual Na`alehu 

Independence Day Parade last Saturday. Photo by Lee McIntosh

 Gabbard has cosponsored legislation like the STOP OD Act (H.R.664) to help state and local governments raise awareness of the dangers of opioids like fentanyl, oxycodone and heroin, expand educational efforts to prevent opiate abuse and promote treatment and prevention.  She also voted to pass a series of bipartisan measures in the 114th Congress to address some of the widespread problems that have caused and perpetuated the national opioid crisis, including the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (S.524) signed into law in July 2016, and has continued to call for drug companies perpetuating the crisis to be held accountable.  

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NEW FLOOD INSURANCE MAPS for Ka`u and the rest of the island were presented this week in Hilo at meetings sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Administration, the county and state. The new maps will go into effect an play a role in the cost of flood insurance starting Sept. 29. Department of Land and Natural Resources explained to residents the flood risks of their homes to show them how their area was rated for flood insurance. A FEMA representative said that flood maps change with development and changes in streams and the shoreline.

Local residents check out the FEMA flood insurance maps.
Photo from David Corrigan/Big island Video News

The flood maps can be viewed online at at gis.hawaiinfip.org/fhat. To learn how to view the preliminary maps using the FHAT, click on the tutorial link provided on the Hawai‘i NFIP Website dlnreng.hawaii.gov/nfip/.

    Areas that have a one percent chance of flooding every year are considered the highest at risk areaa with the highest insurance rates.

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FINIAN'S RAINBOW CONTINUES at Kilauea Military Camp's Kilauea Theater through July 23rd with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 general, $15 for seniors 60 plus and students and $12 for children 12 and under, and are available at Kilauea General Store, Kea’au Natural Foods, and the Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo and at the door. For more information or to make a reservation, contact KDEN at 982-7344 or kden73@aol.com.

Papa ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Fri, July 14, 6 – 7:30 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. This beginning Hawaiian language course continues for eight weeks. $90/$80 VAC members. 967-8222

Recycling at Nā‘ālehu School, Sat, July 15, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Nā‘ālehu School Gym. Redeem your HI-5 sorted by type; receive 5 cents per container and additional 20 cents per pound on all aluminum. Atlas Recycling donates 20 cents per pound on all aluminum redeemed to the school. 939-2413, ext. 230.Hula Performance, Sat, July 15, 10:30 a.m., hula platform near Volcano Art Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Kumu hula Kaho‘okele Crabbe with Halauolaokalani. Nā Mea Hula with Loke Kamanu & ‘ohana, 11a.m. – 1 p.m.

Mongolian BBQ, Sat, July 15, 5 – 8 p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356 for more details.

www.kaucalendar.com

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017